


Sketches and Bouquets

by lovbot



Category: EXO (Band), Kpop - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor, Alternate Universe - Tattoo Parlor, Florist AU, Fluff, Kinda, M/M, Strangers to Lovers, Tattoo Artist Baekhyun, baekhyun look based off of coming over mv, florist kyungsoo, kyungsoo look based off of romantic universe mv, tattoo artist au, u get me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2019-04-04 03:44:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14011443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovbot/pseuds/lovbot
Summary: Each morning Baekhyun finds a beautiful flower by the door of his tattoo parlor and each morning after Kyungsoo is always greeted by a beautiful sketch of a familiar flower.





	Sketches and Bouquets

Baekhyun rearranges the ink so that it goes in the right places. “We have no more bookings, guess we’ll just wait for walk-ins.” Baekhyun’s assistant, Sehun, shrugs with a small smile on his face. Sehun has grown up next door and Baekhyun always took care of him, hence when Baekhyun planned to open his own tattoo parlor he always had Sehun as his assistant in mind. “I feel like death.” Baekhyun’s college and childhood best friend Chanyeol groans from the other side of the shop. “Shouldn’t have gone out of a work night.” Baekhyun flicks his probably pounding forehead as he walks past and out the back, hearing Chanyeol protest as he closes the back door behind him. Baekhyun sat and scrolled mindlessly through his phone, smiling at a post from a florist he had followed. The one next door to Baekhyun’s tattoo parlor, a short soft young man runs it and everyone knew Baekhyun has a slight soft spot for the small man even if they rarely spoke, nods in passing were their main form of communication if Baekhyun were being honest. Baekhyun likes the picture of the flower arrangement gracing his phone screen before locking the phone and going back inside.

“Bae-Bae-Baekhyun…” Chanyeol is right there when he turns around from closing the door. “Oh god, if you’re going to be sick at least get it _in_ the toilet this time.” Baekhyun groans. Chanyeol had a look of worry on his unusually pale face so Baekhyun assumed he was about to be sick. Chanyeol just shook his head and gripped Baekhyun’s wrist before abruptly stopping at the end of the hall, motioning to the small makeshift waiting area at the front of the shop. Baekhyun gasped before subsequently tripping on Chanyeol’s rather long limbs, embarrassing himself. Baekhyun coughed awkwardly before composing himself and making his way to the main desk, mumbling a ‘what the fuck?!’ to Sehun in which return he just shrugs. “ _Kyungsoo?_ ” Baekhyun wearily makes his way over to the man, sitting flipping between flash books. Kyungsoo was wearing a green sweater with jeans, his hair looked a little disheveled like he had run his hands through it one too many times before coming here and Baekhyun wanted to know how he made such a simple outfit look so incredible. “Uh… Baekhyun, right?” Kyungsoo stands to shake his hand, his cheeks red. “Yeah-“ Baekhyun shakes off his want to coo at the smaller man blushing but when Baekhyun shakes Kyungsoo’s hand he can’t help but feel a slight heat rise to his neck and chest. “What are you looking for today?” Baekhyun smiled, trying to remain professional although he couldn’t shake the somewhat giddy feeling he had in the pit of his stomach. “Uh...actually I think I’ve changed my mind.” Kyungsoo blurted out before hanging his head low and rushing out of the parlor. Baekhyun stood stunned for a minute before slowly turning to face Sehun, a confused expression gracing his face. Sehun just shrugged, “Don’t ask me, man.” Sehun looked equally as confused. “I’m… _what_ …” Baekhyun mumbled in disbelief. “Well… go talk to him!” Chanyeol blurts like it’s the most obvious thing but Baekhyun just looks at him like he has just grown three heads.

“Well, that was an awfully _quick_ tattoo.” Minseok smirks as Kyungsoo rushes back into the shop, startling the small cat perched beside the door. “Hah hah.” Kyungsoo groans, shyly walking back behind the counter and sitting on the empty upturned crate. “I chickened out, Minseok.” Kyungsoo looked up desperately at the older male, almost like asking for guidance. “Ah Kyungsoo, you’re so _cute_.” Minseok cooed and ruffled his hair before going to great a customer. Kyungsoo just sighed, hanging his head low in embarrassment. Not long after Kyungsoo felt the weight of the earlier startled young cat, Ruba, jump into his lap, kneading at his thighs and rubbing her head on Kyungsoo’s stomach before curling up and laying down, no cares in the world and Kyungsoo can’t help but feel a sense of envy for the cute feline’s carefree life. “Send him flowers.” Minseok suddenly suggests after serving a customer. Kyungsoo first thinks that it would be too obvious but maybe that’s just what he needed. “Yeah… I think that’s probably the best idea you’ve come up with yet.” Kyungsoo mumbles before rushing around the shop.

Baekhyun is shocked the next morning to find the singular flower in a small glass vase sitting just on the inside of the entrance to his workspace, he is stunned by the beauty of the flower, he had never appreciated a flower like this before, it really was beautiful and in Baekhyun’s sleepy state it took him a minute of staring at the flower before he realised what it meant. Baekhyun acted like a child, jumping slightly in glee and smiling wide to himself as he picked up the vase with care and unlocked the door. While admiring the flower in between customers Baekhyun suddenly has a great idea, complimenting himself internally for coming up with the idea.

Kyungsoo is in _awe_ at the drawing, staring at the lifelike drawing of an all too familiar flower, it definitely wasn’t what he expected to find slipped under the door of his florist that morning but he wished he could blessed with such art each and every morning. After pinning up the art in the wall behind the counter Kyungsoo smiled, he may be bad with words but god Kyungsoo knew flowers, smiling to himself he went on the search for a perfect flower he had in mind.

Baekhyun’s hands ache from using his machine for nearly thirteen hours straight but he knew he still had work to do, another flower in another vase had been at the door earlier that morning so Baekhyun knew exactly what he would do, staying late at the parlor to make sure it got done, distraction-free.

This goes on for just over a week, ten days to be exact. _Ten days, ten flowers, ten drawings._

“Baekhyun?” Kyungsoo’s voice is shaky and Baekhyun stills, mid-drawing the petal of a new flower. Baekhyun lifts his head slowly, looking at the short man standing just inside the door. Kyungsoo is wearing an oversized red sweater, the sleeves hanging past his hands, looking like the sweater was about to swallow him up, he also had some tracksuit pants on, he looked so soft Baekhyun felt the need to just cuddle up with him. “Kyungsoo…” Baekhyun mumbled. “I… uh… I forgot to feed Ruba before I left so I had to rush back and I just… I saw your light on.” Kyungsoo shrugged as if that was reason enough to walk in, walk in and completely rattle Baekhyun. Baekhyun nodded his head in understanding, still not knowing what to say. Kyungsoo shuffles over with his head hung low to glance at what Baekhyun is working on and he just about gawks. “Do you stay back late to work on them?!” Kyungsoo blurts in a panicked tone, spinning towards Baekhyun in a rush. They were closer than Baekhyun thought and Baekhyun felt like someone was really rooting for him when he realised Kyungsoo was actually looking at him instead of the ground like all the times before. “Woah.” Baekhyun lets out a nervous giggle before blushing, covering his mouth with his hand and spinning back to his drawing. “Uh… yeah but really, I enjoy it.” Baekhyun fidgeted under Kyungsoo’s stare. “B-Baekhyun?” Kyungsoo mutters in such a serious tone that it grabs his attention. “Yeah?” Baekhyun stands up, grabbing something and nodding towards the small lounge in the front part of the store. They sit, unable to not be close in proximity as the lounge’s size didn’t allow them to not be touching so their knee’s gently pressed against each other. “ _Thank you_ …” Kyungsoo mumbled, his head hung low Baekhyun hardly heard him. “Kyungsoo… _look_.” Baekhyun smiled pointing slightly at the book he had placed on the table. Kyungsoo looked quizzically at the book before Baekhyun assured him it was okay to look at it.

 _Pressed flowers._ The book was full of nine pressed flowers, Baekhyun had _kept them_ , Kyungsoo felt a tug in his chest, he felt something similar to honour at the fact that Baekhyun had liked them as much as he hoped, so much that he kept them, preserved them even. Kyungsoo couldn’t rid of his smile, even laughing out of joy slightly. “ _Wait!_ ” Kyungsoo nearly shouted when Baekhyun tried to take the book from him and then he blushed, he just wanted to take the site in a little longer. Byun Baekhyun, the tattoo covered, red-headed man that Kyungsoo had some weird soft spot for ever since he helped Minseok and him load boxes into the shop when they had first opened, had preserved a bunch of flowers Kyungsoo had given him in the hopes of somewhat breaking the ice between them.

“I-I have something to show you too.” Kyungsoo smiled, standing and hoping Baekhyun would follow him. Kyungsoo walked the small trek to his florist, unlocking the door and greeting Ruba as he held the door for Baekhyun’s following figure. Baekhyun looked around in interest before his eyes landed on the back wall, the wall in which the counter sits in front of. “You… you hung them up?” Baekhyun smiled in awe. “ _Of course_ I did, my customers have been complimenting them constantly.” Kyungsoo was still nervous but he wanted to show Baekhyun that he appreciated the drawings as much as baekhyun appreciated the flowers.

“ _Go on a date with me?_ ” Baekhyun is standing right behind Kyungsoo when he blurts it out. “I-I mean only if you want to, I mean have I read this wrong? Of course I have you don’t want to go date me it was just a friendly gesture, I mean-“ Kyungsoo gently took one of Baekhyun’s hand and blushed. “You tell me when and where and I’ll be there,” Kyungsoo mumbled into his own chest, staring down at his shoes trying to hide the obvious blush spreading across his cheeks and down his neck. Baekhyun squeezed his hand and laughed. “You really are _too_ cute for your own good.” He mumbled and Kyungsoo shoved him slightly in protest.

Baekhyun gets Kyungsoo’s number so they can organise a time and date and before he leaves the florist to rush back to his shop he kisses Kyungsoo quickly on the cheek and laughs at the shock and deepening blush Kyungsoo’s face wears. Kyungsoo stands stunned for a few seconds after Baekhyun is gone before reaching a hand up to his warm cheeks mumbling to himself. “God, he’s _really_ going to be the death of me.”


End file.
